Iran joins first talks on Syria's fate

VIENNA — Major powers, including Iranand Saudi Arabia who back opposing sides in Syria, meet for the first time on Friday in search of a political solution to the devastating war.

Top diplomats from more than a dozen nations have gathered in Vienna tonarrow differences over the fate of President Bashar al-Assad, who has defiedWestern demands to step down.

In Washington, which along with its Arab and Turkish allies backs Syrianrebels, officials had expressed a cautious hope that the players would agreethe outline of a transition that would eventually see Assad step aside.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, while warning against an immediatesolution, has described the talks as "the most promising opportunity for apolitical opening we have seen".

Later, Kerry and Lavrov were joined by foreign ministers FeridunSinirlioglu of Turkey and Adel al-Jubeir of Saudi Arabia.

Russia has also urged preparations for parliamentary and presidentialelections in Syria.

But the idea has been rejected by rebels who say a vote would be impossiblein the current circumstances, with millions of Syrians displaced, citiesstanding in ruins and two-thirds of the country in the hands of jihadists andother armed groups.

There are also doubts about whether Tehran and Moscow are ready to pushAssad to step aside, particularly at a time when the Islamic State group isseeking to tighten its grip on swathes of the country for its self-proclaimedcaliphate.

Even so, mounting international concerns about the outpouring of Syrianrefugees and the growing jihadist threat could set the scene for some kind ofpolitical compromise, experts say.

'Removed by force'

Even getting Iran and Saudi Arabia – the Middle East's foremost Shiite andSunni powers which back opposing sides in conflicts across the Arab world – tosit at the same table would mark progress.

Jubeir, in an interview with the BBC, made it clear that Riyadh is stickingby its view that Assad must leave office quickly.

"He will go either through a political process or he will be removed byforce," he warned.

Russia and Iran have made it equally clear that Assad has a right to play arole in an eventual transition towards a mooted transitional unity governmentand later elections.

"Apparently those who have tried to solve the Syrian crisis reached theconclusion that without Iran's presence there will be no possibility ofreaching a rational solution," Zarif said, according to Iranian state newsagency IRNA.